Joan Inglis, REALTOR, ASP, ASPM, IAHSP

Hi AR stagers. I am working on compiling the true and current average prices for home staging services. (None of this HGTV "Did it all for $150!") If you could take a few minutes and email me or jot down a response to this post, I would really appreciate your time! I am looking for a final cost range - not the exact method of your confidential pricing. (i.e. $500 - $700)

(If you charge by the hour or square foot for any of the services below, please multiply your per hour or square foot price range by 2500 Sq. Ft., or the estimated number of hours to complete the job.)

On an average 2500 Sq. Ft. home 4 BR 2.5 BA, I need the price range for:

1. A thorough walk-through (walk & talk) consultation contracted by a seller.
2. A thorough walk-through (walk & talk) consultation contracted by a Realtor.
3. A full service consultation where you mark items, take notes, and create a staging report.
4. An occupied staging where there is no de-cluttering, packing, etc. and you use only seller's items.
5. A vacant staging (4 full main rooms) where you line up the rental of all furniture & accessories, supervise delivery, and set up and stage the home.
6. A vacant staging (4 full main rooms) where you contract with a rental company for all furniture, but use your own accessories.
7. A vacant staging (4 full main rooms) where you bring in all of your own furniture & accessories.
8. Monthly rental fee for your own accessories (4 full main rooms).
9. Monthly rental fee for your own furniture & accessories (4 full main rooms).

Importantly, I need:

• Your city (nearest major city if you live in a small town) and state.

I know there are a ton of variables that could come into play in each of these scenarios. But pretend that this is the perfect house with no painting, cleaning, etc. needed. Just go in and do the staging!

Thank you! I really look forward to your responses!!

Joan Inglis, Master Accredited Staging Professional

inglis.joan@yahoo.com 803-628-8053

www.LakeWylieHomeStaging.com

Realtor Magazine addressed virtual staging from an ethical standpoint in its June 2010 issue. The title of the article is "Virtual Staging: Stay True to Disclosing."

Virtual Staging is a low-cost option in this tough economy provided the Realtor clearly discloses that the photos have been altered.

According to Bruce Aydt, Sr. VP and General Counsel of Prudential Alliance and a former chair of National Association of Realtor's Professional Standards Committee,

"The safest course when using any kind of visual alteration, including virtual staging, is to disclose in a clear and conspicuous way that the images have been altered or enhanced. That way viewers will understand that, when they physically arrive at and view the property, it will look different than what they see in the image."

Aydt says that the technology has been around and used for many years to alter photographs in one form or another. A scan of the full article can be found here:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Lake-Wylie-SC/Lake-Wylie-Home-Staging-Home-Staging-Charlotte-North-and-South-Carolina/365387017178?ajaxpipe=1&__a=3

My company Lake Wylie Home Staging has a full time digital designer on staff to assist with photo enhancement services. Although I feel virtual staging is not the best choice and can't compare with full service vacant home staging, virtual staging is a permitted option as long as it is disclosed, disclosed, disclosed.

Joan Inglis, Master Accredited Staging Professional, Realtor

www.LakeWylieHomeStaging.com

Home staging is one of the hottest businesses to start to get rich quick - or so the media says. If you combine all the publicity the home staging industry is getting with all the women out of work, plus add in all the people who think it's fun to decorate - you get a stew with a lot of rotten potatoes.

Take your city for example. Go online to Google and type in your city name and "home stagers." You will likely get several pages of results. And some of the home stager's web sites you will find are quite snappy! The photos look great and the written material sounds enticing. The blogging is quite good with scores of expert information. But can you be sure about this person? Are the photos their own? Is the written information coming from their own knowledge - or is it just rewrites of published articles?

The truth is the majority of home stagers have only been in the business for a short time. Even if they've been in the business for a couple of years, they may only have actually staged three or four properties - or less.

Some people trying to break into the home staging business are so desperate to get started that they go around begging REALTORS and property owners to let them work for free in hopes of appearing legitimate.

Home staging takes training, dedication, and time. There is wisdom in experience. Home stagers who have been in the business for several years will tell you that they've learned a lot as time has gone by. Don't risk wasting money on someone with little or no experience without proven results.

Don't be fooled by the person who's a great speaker and full of book knowledge. Show me the money!

Ask them to list all the properties they've staged and sold- how long they were on the market before and after staging - and the selling price. Anyone can boast "Offer in 2 days!" This can be a jokester coming through open house saying he'll give $500 for the property.

Ask to physically visit a home that this person currently has staged. Make sure you visit a staged property in the same price range as your property. And if you're looking to have a vacant property furnished, make sure the staged property you visit was also a vacant property before staging. If you don't know what to look for - take someone with you who does. A good source to find a professional is stagedhomes.com.

Check references, check insurance, check education and training, and re check the properties this home stager is claiming to have staged and sold.

Joan Inglis, Master Accredited Staging Professional, interior designer, REALTOR www.LakeWylieHomeStaging.com

"Trusted Throughout the Carolinas Since 2004"

Can you say, "Glam!?" Wow, what eye candy at High Point yesterday! Glad to see mirrored furniture is still showing. I saw a lot of that. It's tough to transport, but I do have some pieces I use in staging. Sorry to say that microfiber was not shown. I saw one dining room set with chairs in microfiber - the salesman commented that it was last year's model. Microfiber has been replaced by velvet. I've been purchasing market samples for years and I noticed velvet was popping up last year. I do have 2 velvet glam sofas I purchased last year that I love to use for staging.

Here's a photo of Ty Pennington from ABC's Extreme Makeover Home Edition and me at High Point.

Click the link below to vist my facebook business page to see a photo album from High Point!

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Lake-Wylie-SC/Lake-Wylie-Home-Staging-Home-Staging-Charlotte-North-and-South-Carolina/365387017178?ref=ts

Joan Inglis. Accredited Staging Professional Master

www.LakeWylieHomeStaging.com

Hi All,

I'm working hard at my 2010 Public Relations chapter board position on Charlotte IAHSP.

We have a facebook page that I'm maintaining.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Charlotte-IAHSP-Regional-Chapter/205422597786?ref=ts

We would love to have all you ASPs/IAHSPs and friends of (and hopefully soon-to-become) ASPs/IAHSPs "fan" us and add comments, etc.

We have a great community service project coming up this week! Details in the link above. We are going to try to do one project per quarter as a chapter.

Of course there are some of us who can't get enough of helping nonprofits ;) and we work on individual projects year round.

Thanks!!

Joan Inglis, Realtor, ASP, ASPM, IAHSP

www.LakeWylieHomeStaging.com